Business School, Profs In the News

May 15, 2014 - In the News

The College of Business and Economics is featured in an online story in the May 15 Globe and Mail. The story looks at how case studies are a staple of business-school education, and uses a U of G course as an example of a “real time” case study where company executives are in the classroom as judges.

The “boardroom challenge” was the final component of U of G’s MBA program, which is designed for working professionals in food, hospitality and agribusiness, and involved PepsiCo Foods Canada president Marc Guay. The MBA students were asked to ponder whether PepsiCo Foods should rethink how it connects with Canadian consumers, and, if so, how.

The live case study is part of a two-year-old partnership between U of G and PepsiCo Foods. Guay told the Globe and Mail it’s mutually beneficial. “It’s a win for the students by providing a unique and interesting case study that is unlike any they might see in their books,” he said. “It’s a win for us in that we have an opportunity to tap some of the brightest brains in the country on a complex business program.”

The course was led by Prof. Sylvain Charlebois, the business school’s associate dean of research and graduate studies.

Prof. Bruce McAdams, Hospitality and Tourism Management, took part in a live online chat moderated by the National PostMay 14 on whether restaurants should get rid of tipping. The chat was prompted by earlier news reports about a Vancouver Island tip-free restaurant. McAdams did several interviews on the topic, including in Vancouver Sun May 10 and a National Post story May 12. His research with Prof. Michael von Massow on how gratuities affect restaurant operations was also mentioned in a May 12 Globe and Mail article. McAdams worked in hospitality for almost 30 years before coming to Guelph, including serving as vice-president of operations with Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants.

Prof. Michael von Massow, Hospitality and Tourism Management, was also featured in news reports on restaurants and tipping, including in a CBC News article May 13. Von Massow has worked in hospitality operations and marketing, and as a management consultant and policy researcher.

Prof. Medhat Moussa, Engineering, was featured in a story that aired on CBC's The National May 11. In the segment, Moussa discusses how farmers can achieve greater profits using robotics in a range of areas (advance to 34:30 in the broadcast to see the story). Moussa studies robot learning, design and human-robot interaction, including developing robots for everything from search-and-rescue applications to personal domestic service.

A May 10 Maclean’s story about the harvesting of wild leeks included comments from Prof. Mary Ruth McDonald, Plant Agriculture. McDonald studies integrated crop protection and crop management, including disease and insect management and biological control of plant disease. Much of the work is done at U of G’s Muck Crops Research Station, a science and field-testing centre located in the Holland Marsh.